The Joy Of Travelling Pt2

Switzerland

I first became aware of Switzerland when I discovered the story of Heidi

It is a story about a young girl who lives with her grandfather on a Swiss mountain.

I read the book and then watched it dramatized on T.V

I was entranced,
 the T.V showed the mountains
 I had been dreaming of ever since reading it 3 times back to back.

I grew up thinking it couldn't be real

That no place on earth could be so beautiful

Boy was I wrong!

We set off quite late from the site in France

 as with all of our trips we had no firm plans

no site pre-booked  to rush to

Just the enjoyment of the open road
 and anticipation of all that was to come.

We stopped at  an aire just before Switzerland

and whilst Andy cooked amongst the fag butts

I enjoyed a beer

Beer for the non-driver is an absolute must

as the non-driver it was my dubious pleasure to be the main food giver
, launching food into the back of the van like cruise missiles,
 referee to countless arguments
 navigator
cigarette roller

and general sorter outer.

A beer is well deserved
 and will make the next part of the journey much easier to bear.

It may make the driver pull this face

 

TOUGH SHIT

mwahahahaha

Everything is shoved back in

Packed away beautifully..........

And we hit the road once more

As we got fully into Switzerland the sun was going down and a mist was descending

We needed to find a spot to sleep.

finding a spot to sleep is always fun.........

Its either

 too creepy

too busy

too noisy

too overlooked

etc

etc

However, as we drove higher up the mountain a huge vastspace opened up in front of us.

a big car park next to

 a very dark

very dense

very beautiful

not too creepy

forest

With a field full

Of cows

Which all were wearing Cow Bells

around their necks

I was so happy to discover that this wasn't just a sterotype

All that we could hear as we released

 the beasts

the children

was the gentle clang of the bells

A victory dance was done

And everything set up

 

for the most delightful evening

of sitting

smoking

listening to cow bells 

 inhabitants of the forest

(I actually text a friend to check for the chances of bear encounters in Switzerland

she was not reassuring......)

Then the moon came out from behind a cloud

My pictures do her no justice

I grinned like a fool

amazed that I was sat on a Swiss Mountainside

breathing in what can be described as

pure oxygen

such was its clarity

and purity

I could taste the beauty in every breath

to breath in the mountains

is to breathe fully for the first time

Reluctantly we headed to bed

That Morning

what we woke to

could not have been more wonderful

we had arrived at dusk and had only a tiny glimpse

of our surroundings

before it turned pitch black with a sky full of stars

We were bathed in light

and full of love

as we ate breakfast

and reluctantly

got ready to move on and really explore



Ready to hit

THE FURKA PASS

look out for part 3

driving the Furka Pass